A young artist from Mesquite is getting her first solo show. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker reports you’ll be able to see it at the Dallas Black Dance Theater ‘Encore’s’ upcoming performance.
The Smith family used to have a game room loft in their suburban Mesquite home, until the pandemic started and their daughter Madison started painting.
"We're like, we could put some on the wall," Madison Smith said laughing. "That's when it turned into a studio!"
The 18-year-old is a straight-A student at Dallas Christian School. While others used the pandemic to learn how to bake bread, she taught herself to paint by watching YouTube.
"I was like, I really want to try it. I think that's how my brain works. As soon as I see someone doing something really cool, I'm like 'I want to see if I can do that,'" Smith said.
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Since Smith started painting, she's received guidance and mentorship from the Sly Cat Gallery in Cedar Hill.
"When I'm painting, I can feel that release and, like, all the emotions just go onto the canvas and I can be, like, 'phew! It's done! I can walk away now.'"
Smith only walks away until she starts her next piece. Her artwork is stacked along walls, and hanging throughout the family's home. It's about to get a wider audience.
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"At the Dallas Black Dance Theatre I wanted to do something that was very versatile," Smith said.
Smith will get her first solo exhibit in the lobby of the Moody Performance Hall for an upcoming performance of 'Rising Excellence' by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre's professional training company, Encore!
"I was like, 'How many do I need?' And they're like, 'However many you want,' and I was like, 'Say less,'" Smith said giggling. "This is just something that's personal to me. I really enjoy doing it and so I'm, like, blown away a little bit!"
On Friday, Smith and her father, Ken, packed up artwork to install before the dance performance and exhibit opens.
"I think a good piece of art can be good to different people in vastly different ways," Smith said.
The DBDT: Encore! performance 'Rising Excellence' is on April 21 and April 22. Tickets are available to watch in-person and streaming on-demand.
